I read recently that women can hear little sounds better than men can and their sense of smell is more acute. So the following pullquote is perfect.
Lois picked up his pillow and hugged it to her chest. Her chin dropped and she buried her nose in the pillow, inhaling the clean masculine scent of Clark that lingered there. His was the same smell as Superman - how had she missed that? Whoever it was that attacked her tonight hadn't got that part right either. He hadn't smelled like Clark.
A man probably wouldn't have even thought to write about scent. I know I wouldn't have. It made so much sense to me. And if Lois can smell the real Clark, she can trust him, even if he looks like the fake Superman who tried to rape her.
And I'm almost completely certain he didn't finish his act of violence, since he himself wasn't disrobed. But Lois will still have post-trauma reactions to this episode. I feel for her.
"I'm sorry I broke into your apartment." Her voice was still low and quiet and he wondered if she was afraid of upsetting him.
"It's not like I'm going to report you. You're welcome here anytime," he reassured her.
"I guess there are a lot of things that happened tonight that will never get reported."
Lois comes across as so very child-like and vulnerable here. She's trying to make a joke about it, but they both know that there's nothing funny about what almost happened to her - or about what did happen to her. And Clark's reluctance to invade her personal space because he doesn't know how she'll react is reasonable, but Lois also needs to know that he doesn't blame her or think of her as damaged in any way, shape or form.
And the previous posters are absolutely right.
Understanding dawned on him. From the first she had always been in such tight control of her emotions. He had seen rare glimpses of the softness underneath and he had loved her all the more for them. Only now did he realize that her tears were the one thing she had never shown Superman.
He finally understands. Clark has seen a side of her that Superman never has, her inner vulnerabilty. She trusts him so much that she's shown him what's really in her heart.
Perfect.
